From the Late Qing to the Republic

Name: From the Late Qing to the Republic
ISBN: 9787503462252

Te-Kong TongChina Culture and History Press · ChinaApr 2026

4.1

Word count: 277K words
Chapters: 33
ISBN: 9787503462252

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Summary

The twists and turns of the Yangtze's Three Gorges are the pride of the Chinese people and a tidal zone in China's natural history. The Opium War opened the prelude to China's once-in-two-millennia 'great transformation of society and culture.' In the discerning eyes of the eminent historian Tang Degang, just as there is a 'natural view of history,' so too is there a 'humanistic view of history': the war of 1840 not only set off a great transformation in China's social and political forms, but also meant that the long river of historical trends required a hundred years of turbulent upheaval before it could enter the vast Pacific. In this book, Tang Degang blends the Three Gorges perspective with humanistic exploration, producing an objective and in-depth history of modern China.

Editor's review

From the Late Qing to the Republic is the concentrated expression of Mr. Te-Kong Tong's "Historical Three Gorges" theory. With an academic vision that spans China and the West, he likens the transformation of modern Chinese history to a long voyage through the Three Gorges. This book is not a chronicle in the traditional sense, but a work of historical commentary imbued with the "Tang style": it has both a grand historical framework and vivid details and trenchant observations. Drawing on his unique mastery of oral history and a rigorous foundation of historical sources, Mr. Tong sketches with a lively, lucid pen the magnificent yet painful historical landscape from the late Qing to the Republic. The value of reading this book lies not only in understanding the major events and figures of the crucial period from the Opium War to the founding of New China, but also in understanding the core historical view he proposes: the overall transformation of China's social, political, and cultural order is a long and tortuous process of the "Historical Three Gorges." His reflections on China's path to modernization remain profoundly thought-provoking today. For readers who wish to go beyond a simple recital of historical facts and seek a deep interpretation of the historical trajectory, this book offers a rare perspective and intellectual depth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a deep interest in the transformation of modern Chinese history who are not satisfied with simple statements of historical fact
Readers of history and literature who wish to understand Te-Kong Tong's "Historical Three Gorges" theory and his historiographical views
Readers who enjoy historical works that combine academic depth with readability and a lively, vivid style
University students and researchers in history, political science, sociology, and related fields

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a purely annalistic history or a concise, biography-style narrative
Readers who are not interested in historical theoretical frameworks or a historian's personal views and want only "standard answers"

Reading tips

It is recommended to read the preface or introduction first to understand the core meaning of Te-Kong Tong's "Historical Three Gorges" theory and use it as a thread running through the whole book.
While reading, pay attention to the book's reassessment of key historical figures (such as Li Hongzhang and Yuan Shikai) and appreciate his historiographical method of "sympathetic understanding."
The book can be read alongside other works by Te-Kong Tong, such as The Late Qing Seventy Years and Yuan's Rule of the Country, to gain a more comprehensive grasp of his historiographical system.

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

版权信息
总序
自序
第一章中国社会文化转型综论
论帝国主义与晚清外患
第二章太平天国
一、论晚清周期性内乱与洪杨悲剧
二、太平开国故事再检讨
三、预言书中的洪、杨
四、“四不像”的洪杨割据
五、两次“长征”，两番“寸磔”
第三章甲午战争与戊戌变法
一、甲午战争百年祭
二、慈禧太后和她的颐和园
三、为黄海血战平反
四、一百年后回看戊戌变法
五、解剖康有为
六、“新学伪经”和“托古改制”
七、公车上书和保国保种
八、那变不了法、改不了制的一百天
第四章义和团与八国联军
一、传教·信教·吃教·反教形形色色平议
二、列强刺激·太后玩火·端王窃政·群运出轨
三、慈禧太后向十一国宣战始末
四、不堪一击的拳民与七国杂牌军
五、“门户开放”取代“列国瓜分”
第五章袁世凯、孙文与辛亥革命
一、从中原世族到朝鲜监国
二、乱世抓枪杆，有枪便有权
三、卷入三大危机、一项运动
四、细说辛亥革命
五、同盟会是个革命大拼盘
六、鞑虏易驱，民国难建

FAQ

What is the relationship between this book and The Late Qing Seventy Years?

From the Late Qing to the Republic can be regarded as a distilled collection and deepened exposition of Mr. Te-Kong Tong's core arguments on modern Chinese history. Its content overlaps in part with The Late Qing Seventy Years, but this book focuses more on the systematic presentation and argumentation of his "Historical Three Gorges" theoretical framework, with a more compact structure and more concentrated arguments.

What exactly does Te-Kong Tong's "Historical Three Gorges" theory refer to?

This is a famous historical metaphor proposed by Te-Kong Tong. It refers to the long, painful, and stormy period of transformation China must undergo in moving from an ancient imperial agricultural civilization to a modern civilization, much like the Yangtze River passing through the Three Gorges. He believes this "Historical Three Gorges" roughly began with the Opium War and will take about two hundred years to pass through. This book is precisely a concrete demonstration of this theory for the period from the late Qing to the Republic.

What is the writing style of this book? Is it difficult to read?

Te-Kong Tong's style is known as the "Tang essay style," blending academic thinking with vivid narrative and even humorous commentary, and it is highly readable. As long as one has a basic understanding of modern history, reading it poses no great obstacle. The difficulty, or rather the depth, lies not in the language but in understanding and reflecting on the historical-philosophical framework behind it.

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About the author

Te-Kong Tong Author · United States · 1920–2009

Te-Kong Tong (1920–2009), a Chinese-American historian and biographer born in Hefei, Anhui, earned a doctorate in history from Columbia University. An important pioneer of oral history in the Chinese-speaking world, he helped Hu Shih, Li Tsung-jen and V. K. Wellington Koo complete their oral biographies, making notable contributions to recording and organizing modern historical sources. His works span historiography, Redology and personal reminiscence; representative titles include an oral autobiography of Hu Shih, the memoirs of Li Tsung-jen and a study of the late Qing. His writing combines scholarly inquiry with readable narrative, often using essayistic prose to trace historical developments and personal connections, and his books have reached a wide readership in history, documentary writing and biography.